Hearst TV Sues Aereo in Boston Over Copyright Infringement

Service now fighting lawsuits in 2 markets

Hearst TV, owner of WCVB-TV, the ABC affiliate in Boston, opened up a front in the broadcast legal battle against Aereo TV.

Like the suits filed by broadcast TV owners in New York, Hearst claims Aereo is infringing on its copyright by retransmitting its signal without permission.

Aereo has been operating in New York since last year, but it recently launched in Boston in May and is rolling out to other markets. The company gets around the copyright claims, arguing that it is renting (for about $8 a month) a small personal antenna to subscribers in order to stream local stations over the Internet.

Broadcasters call Aereo's business model nothing but gamesmanship.

So far, the New York courts have refused to halt the service, but broadcasters are confident they can eventually win the case on the merits.